Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-01
ALLAN QUARTERNAIp.
OR
A BROWNING CITY.

MISS FIOSSIe came up and took me OH to
see her collection of flowers, African ILL
ums, and blooming shrubs, some of which
are very beautiful, many Of the varieties
being quite unknown to me, and also,
believe to botanical science / asked her
If she had ever seen or heard of the "Goya"
lily, which Central African explorers have
told me they have occasionally met with
and whose wonderful loneliness has filled
them with establishment. This lily, which
the natives say blooms only once in ten
years, flouriSheS in the most arid soil
Compared to the size of bloom the bulb
is small, generally weighing about four
pounds. AS for the flower itself (Which /
afterward first saw under circumstances
likely to impress its appearance iXedly III
my mind, / know not how to describe its
beauty and SplendOr. or the indeScribable
sweetness of its perfume The flower, for
1t only has one bloom, rises from the crown
of the bulb on thick, fieshy, and fiat
sided stem land the specimen that / saw
measured fourteen inches in diameter, and
is somewhat trumpet-shaped, like the
bloom of an ordinary 'lOngifiOrum, set
vertically. First there is the green sheath,
which, in its early stage, is not unlike that
of a water-lily, but which, as the bloom
opens, splits into four portions and curls
back gracefully toward the stem. Then
comes the bloom itself, a single dazzling
arch of white inclosing another cup of
richest yelvety crimson, from the heart of
which rises a golden-colored stamen.
have never seen anything to equal this
bloom in beauty or fragrance, and, as / be-
lieve it is but little known, take the iber
ty to describe it at length. Looking at it
for the first time, [ well remember that /
realized how, even N a flower, there dwells
the majesty of it's Maker. To my great de-
light Miss FlOssie told me that she knew
the flower well, and had tried to grow it in
her garden, but without success, adding,
however, that, as it should be in bloom
at this time of the year, she thought that
she could procure me a specimen.
After that fell to asking her if she was
not lonely up here among all these savage
people, and without any companions of her
own age.
Lonely" she said. ooh, indeed no!
am as happy as the day is long, and be-
sides, have my own companions Why,
[ should hate to be buried in a crowd of
white girls all just like myself, so that no.
body could tell the difference. Here" she
said, giving her head a little toss, 81 am 1;
and every native for miles round knows
the 'Waterlily'- that is what they call
me-and is ready to do what I want; but
in the oks that / have read about little
girls in England, it is not like that Every
body thinks them a trouble, and they have
to do what their schOolmistreSs likes Obi
it would break my heart to be put in a
cage like that and not to be free-free as
air.
''Wouldn't you like to learn?" / asked
$50 do learn. Father teaches me Latin
and French and arithmetic"
''And are you never afraid among all
these wild men?'
afraid? Oh, MOI They never interfere
with me- | think they believe that | am
'Ngai (of the Divinity, because l am so
white and have fair hair. And look here"
and diving her little hand into the bodice
of her dress she produced a double barrel
ed, nickel-plated Derringer; 81 always carry
that loaded, and if anybody tried to touch
me should shoot them. Once | shot a
leopard that jumped upon my donkey as |
was riding along 1t frightened me very
much, but | shot it in the ear and it fell
dead, and [ have its skin upon my bed
Look there!' she went on in an altered
voice, touching me on the arm and point
ing to some far away object, 81 said just
now that had companions. There is one
of them"
I looked and for the first time there
burst upon my sight the glory of Mount
Kenia. Hitherto the mountain had always
been hidden in mist; but now its radiant
beauty was unveiled for many thousand
feet, although the base was still wrapped
In vapor SO that the lofty peak or pillar,
towering nearly twenty thousand feet into
the sky, appeared to be fairy vision, hang
Ing between earth and heaven, and based
upon the clouds. The solemn majesty and
beauty of this white peak are together be-
yond the power of my poor pen to describe.
There it rose, straight and sheer-a gilt
tering white glory, its crest piercing the
very blue of heaven. AS [ gazed at it there
with that little girl, felt my whole heart
lift up with an indescribable emotion, and
for moment great and wonderful thoughts
seemed to break upon my mind, even as
the arrows of the setting sun were breaking
on kenia's SHOWS. Mr.. Mackenzies ma
uveS call the mountain the Finger of
God;" and to me it did seem eloquent of
immortal peace, and of the pure, high calm
that surely lies above this fevered world.
Somewhere had heard a line of poetry,
"a thing of beauty is joy forever
and now it came into my mind, and for
the first time I thoroughly understood
what the poet meant. Base indeed, would
be the man who could look upon that
mighty, snow-wreath pile-that white old
tombstone of years, and not feel his own
utter insignifcance, and, by whatsoever
name he calls him, worship God in his
heart. Such sights are like visions of the
spirit; they throw wide the windows of the
chamber of our small selfishness and let in
breath of that air that rushes round the
rolling spheres, and for while illumine
our darkness with the white light which
beats upon the Throne.
Yes, such things of beauty are indeed ga
joy forever" and | can well understand
what little Flossie meant when she talked
of Kenia as her companion. AS Umsloeo-
gaas, savage old Zulu as he is, said when
pointed out to him the peak hanging in the
glittering air: GA man might look thereon
for thousand years and yet be hungry to
see." But he gave rather another color to
his poetical idea when he added, in sort
of chant and with touch of that weird
imagination for which the man was re-